Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Summary: Six-year-old Lexy loves dancing. But every time she tries to perform in front of a crowd, she freezes completely. So she decides to quit and become a teacher. Unfortunately, no one wants to learn from a kid—until a group of fuzzy blue giants turn up at her door looking for dance lessons.

First Line: "One day Lexy decided that when it came to dancing, she was done."

Tracy's Thoughts:
This highly enjoyable story comes from a well-known children's librarian and blogger, and it's clear she knows her stuff. Bird's action-packed language and Dorman's energetic artwork fairly leap off the page, creating a fantastic read aloud. Vivid, full-color digital art and a likeable, exuberant protagonist
will capture the attention of readers, and the humorous text and story
will hold it. I was charmed when Lexy refers
to herself as an "ice pop" after freezing onstage (anyone want to guess how the giants
are described when they too suffer from stage fright?), and laughed out
loud when the giants practiced a wide variety of dances, from the chicken dance to
krumping. The story nicely weaves together a tale of realistic fears
with fantasy elements, and the result is a fun, engaging read that
makes Lexy's eventual triumph less pointedly didactic than many other
picture books dealing with childhood fears. Even better, the final page leaves room for a follow up title—or so I
hope.

No comments:

The Star Rating System

1 Star Forget it, use it as a coaster.2 Stars Readable, but with so many other books, why bother?3 Stars Good, but it's not going to win my award for Book of the Year.4 Stars Excellent. Not quite worthy of 5 stars, but almost there!5 Stars WONDERFUL! Run out and get it from the library! Do not stop until you have it in your hot little hands!